The difference being, that over that 15 years or so Photoshop has maintained and streamlined it's interface using pretty much the same file formats leading to a somewhat intuitive workflow as one progresses from amateur to advanced user. Arc, on the other hand has completely redeveloped itself and it's file-format 3 times (coverage, shapefile, geodatabase) in the same time period leading users to constantly need training and retooling.

Sometimes I think it's a good thing, other times I'd like to do this -->

Hans van der Maarel

Posted 12 April 2008 - 01:06 AM

Arc, on the other hand has completely redeveloped itself and it's file-format 3 times (coverage, shapefile, geodatabase)

And woe the person who has to work with any of the new proprietary formats (various flavors of geodatabase) without having Arc itself... FME supports them, but only if you have Arc installed on the same computer... Fortunately Manifold can do it.